By Bethan Finighan
A new strain of Covid-19 is circulating in the UK and is now the dominant strain of the virus in England, official data shows. The new variant, dubbed ‘Stratus’, is “growing rapidly” compared to previous strains of the virus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warns. It was declared a “variant under monitoring” by the WHO on June 25 after it was first reported in January this year. Despite its potential to “evade immunity” from vaccines and previous infection, the WHO says the additional public health risk posed by XFG is “low” at the global level. The latest data by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reveals levels of the XFG and XFG.3 variants are rapidly spreading in England. Both are strains of Stratus, with the original being XFG and the spin-off called XFG.3. In May, the Stratus variant made up 10 per cent of cases in England. However, the XFG and XFG.3 variants currently account for around 40 per cent of cases , UKHSA data shows. Between May 26 and June 8, 28.9 per cent of cases were classified as XFG.3 and 11.4 per cent were classified as XFG. Dr Alex Allen, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “It is normal for viruses to mutate and change over time. UKHSA is monitoring all available data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants in the UK and abroad, and we continue to publish our findings in our regular Flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports. “Based on the available information so far, there is no evidence to suggest that the XFG and XFG.3 variants cause more severe disease than previous variants, or that the vaccines in current use will be less effective against them.” Unlike previous Covid strains, some experts have suggested the Stratus variant is known for its unique symptom of giving people a hoarse voice . Doctors in India, where the Stratus variant is dominant, have noted that hoarseness is a common symptom, reports Wired. Patients also report a dry cough, sore throat, and other common Covid symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and fatigue. The WHO says there is currently no evidence to suggest the variant causes more serious illness than earlier versions of the virus. It said: “While there are reported increases in cases and hospitalisations in some of the [South-east Asia Region] countries, which has the highest proportion of XFG, there are no reports to suggest that the associated disease severity is higher as compared to other circulating variants.” The Stratus variant is the latest strain to be monitored by the WHO after the Nimbus variant was declared a “variant under monitoring” last month. Also known as the NB.1.8.1 variant, it was known for its painful symptom called “razor blade sensation” – a sharp, stabbing pain when you swallow. The NHS says common symptoms of Covid-19 include